The prevention of runway incursions has been an issue of increasing concern and has resulted in the development of the Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE-3), the Airport Movement Area System (AMASS), and the Airport Surface Traffic Automation Program (ASTA).
The most relevant prior art relating to the present invention, and airport surface monitoring and runway incursion systems in particular, is the ASDE-3 radar system which is a single high power Ku-Band real aperture radar that is located on a tower adjacent to an airport. The ASDE-3 system experiences shadowing and multiple reflections that seriously affect the performance, which is a consequence of the fact that it is a single radar system. The ASDE-3 radar system is also a very expensive solution.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved system for monitoring runway incursions at airports.